City touts facade program in before and after report

The results of Ogdensburgs state-funded Main Street facade improvement program are there to see for pedestrians and motorists alike since they were finished last year.

Now, they are going to be available online or by visiting the Ogdensburg Public Library.

A 15-page, full-color pictorial with narrative on the pair of $200,000 programs targeting the Marina District in 2008 and the Ford and State Street District in 2009 will be posted to the websites of both the city and the Ogdensburg Growth Fund Development Corp.

Also, two hard copies of the document are available for hands-on perusal at the library, located at 312 Washington St.

City Planning and Development Director Andrea L. Smith said the reports then-and-now theme - showing the facades before and after their makeovers - is deliberate.

Both grants provided matching funds for projects aimed at rehabilitating business facades to improve the appearance of Ogdensburgs old commercial districts. The two programs closed out in October with $5,397.22 that was returned to the state from the Marina District grant. There was nothing unspent from the Ford and State Street District program.